[1] The congregation, established in 1904, is one of the oldest African American Presbyterian churches in California and west of the Mississippi River.
[2][3] In the early 1900s a group of eighteen African Americans met on Sunday afternoons at Central Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.
Holman was a graduate of Wallingford Institute and author of "National Plague Spots, or the Reproachful Sins of the American People.
"[7] The Los Angeles Evening Express reported that Holman was “the first colored pastor to occupy a pulpit of the Presbyterian denomination on the Pacific coast.”[8] Later in the year, several African American churches organized a program to raise funds for a colored gymnasium at the YWCA at Eighth and San Pedro streets.
Hawes was elected Moderator of the Los Angeles Presbytery at a meeting with 325 ministers and lay delegates.
[17] On his 26th anniversary of service, the Westminster Sunday School classes, led by superintendents La Vonzell Gates and Neile Adams, celebrated Rev.
[21] In 1957, Golden State Mutual Insurance provided free tickets to Westminster's Scout Troop 205 to attend the annual high school football Shrine Hi Classic at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
[23] St. Paul's congregation was merging with Baldwin Hills Community Presbyterian Church and moving to the facility on La Brea Ave. and Coliseum Street.
Hawes tenure, following a visit to Seoul with Dr. Henry A. McPherson,[25] was his campaign to procure homes for homeless and unwanted Korean War orphans of "Negro" paternity.
Hawes had been instrumental in placing 70 Korean orphans for adoption, including 40 within Westminster Presbyterian Church families.
Jones, in the early 1960s, Frederick K. C. Price, who later became an author, televangelist and founder of the Los Angeles-based Crenshaw Christian Center, was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
[37] He was the first African American to be elected to that office, where he advocated for voluntary busing to integrate Los Angeles schools.
[37][40] Jones was also a consultant to the national advisory committee planning the children's television program Sesame Street.
Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley, who had been in office nearly two years, was a featured speaker at the anniversary program.
[43][44] The church's 75th Diamond Anniversary banquet in 1979 was held at the Biltmore Hotel with Academy Award-winning actor Gregory Peck serving as master of ceremonies.
Other prominent guests included US Congressman Julian Dixon, Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and Dr. H. Claude Hudson, a founder of the Los Angeles NAACP chapter.
The Pre-Christmas Communion service at Westminster was officiated by noted theologian Dr. Howard Thurman with the assistance of Rev.
Brown hosted Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago to an annual week-long revival for eight years, from 1993 through 2000.
[74] The church building also included a full kitchen, special stage, and dressing rooms in the Fellowship Hall.
[74] Financing for St. Paul's came through a $40,000 loan from the Bank of America and Los Angeles bar owner and crime boss Charles H. Crawford.
In June 1930, shortly after an indictment on bribery charges, Crawford was baptized and admitted into the membership of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church.
On the day of his baptism, Crawford placed a ring set with two large diamonds, and valued at $3,500, in the collection plate at Briegleb's church.
The Westminster Presbyterian Church building on Jefferson Boulevard was granted City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument status (No.